Question

What role does discrimination, envy and racism play in the poem The Cold Within

Answer 1

The cold Within, the poet has shown how people are divided all over the world based on some narrow considerations like racism, religion hatred, class distinction and prejudice.

In the poem the six ''humans'' where there around the dying fire and everybody had a stick to give the fire a new lease of life.

But no one came to share their wood because they had hatred in the mind for others.

The first woman had racism against black people, Another man had ill feelings for people with other religious believes different from his.

The third man was prejudice against the rich people for he was poor, The forth  had prejudice against poor people for he was rich and greedy.

The firth was a black man and he wanted to take revenge against the white people for they had always ill treated their race.

The last man was narrow minded and wanted to share his wood only in exchange for something else.

This is highly symbolic of the foolishness of people's ill feelings against their fellow men.

If people are not broad minded enough then they can never enjoy a happy and peaceful life.  This is the role the poet wanted to convey against discrimination, envy and racism in the play The Cold Within.

Answer 2

The ‘Cold Within’ is a poem written by the Irish American poet James Patrick Kinney. It was written during the African American Civil Rights movement during 1954 – 1968.

 

The poem tells of six humans trapped in the icy cold wilderness, huddled before a dying fire, with only a stick each, in their hands. Even though the burning fire is their only hope for survival, each one is reluctant to throw their stick into the dying flames, for silly reasons such as the colour of the other person, their social and financial status, the church one belonged to, or expecting something in return.

 

The poem tells us not to harbour discrimination, envy or racism, but to view all humans as equals.